


The Numbers Say Zero

by kenezbian



Category: Rooster Teeth Productions RPF
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-09
Updated: 2013-02-09
Packaged: 2017-11-28 17:05:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/676799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenezbian/pseuds/kenezbian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan and Ray like each other, but their soulmate counters say otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Numbers Say Zero

**Author's Note:**

> There was a popular post on tumblr a while back about having a counter on your wrist that counted down to the moment you met your soulmate. This was inspired by that.

Ray’s skype beeped at him, and he smiled when he saw it was Dan. “Hey bro,” he typed, “what’s up?”

“Gettin’ ready to go out with Gav for a few pints. You?”

“Working on videos. I’m glad to see you though, even if it’s just a minute.”

There was silence, and Ray switched back to editing for a while, and then skype beeped again. “I have something I want to tell you.”

“Shoot.” Ray’s insides twisted into knots as the little pencil started writing…

and writing…

and writing…

And right when Ray was about to ask him what the hell was taking so long, it sent.

“Look, I know you like me. And I like you too. But I really don’t think us dating should be a good idea. I don’t know about yours, but my counter is less than six months now. And I don’t want to start something now just to forget about you because my little numbers say zero, ya know?”

Ray sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

“Still friends?”

“Always! You’re #dantheman after all!”

Dan’s icon went blank - he had a tendency to log off suddenly - and he took a deep breath, trying not to get upset. He glanced down at his own wrist, 5 months, 6 days, 13 hours and some-odd minutes, and decided Dan was right.

It was better this way.

He frowned and grabbed a slap band off his desk and cuffed it around his wrist. “Fuck it,” he mumbled to himself, adjusting it to fully cover the counter. “Out of sight out of mind.”

———

Dan and Gavin’s flight landed in Vegas, and Dan stretched his arms. “Christ, man, that was a long flight.”

Gavin looked up and snatched Dan’s right wrist out of the air and stared at it. “You know you’re down to 3 days, B?”

Dan pulled his arm back. “Yes, I’m fully aware.” The brunet blushed.

Gavin ticked off the days on his fingers. “You’ll be in Austin in 3 days.”

“I know, I can count.” He frowned angrily. “I was hoping I wouldn’t be.”

Gavin’s face turned somber. “You’re afraid it’s gonna be in the office. In front of Ray.”

“I know he and I are gonna be friends no matter what, but I really liked him and he really liked me. It just sucks that he and I are never gonna…” He rubbed his eyes and shrugged. “Best not to think about it, really.”

“B, I promise, if it happens at the office, you’re gonna love them, no matter who it is. I promise.” Gavin smiled, and the overhead speakers rang as the seat belt sign turned off.

———

Dan couldn’t help but stare at his wrist as they drove closer to the building. Once the numbers hit 59:59, they had changed to a dark green, and got lighter with each passing minute. At 9:59, they began pulsing.

As Burnie put his truck into park, it was down to 3 minutes, and Dan took a deep breath. “B, they’re in there.”

Burnie smirked as he stepped out of the truck, and Gavin placed his hand over the number. “Don’t think about it. They say your hearts skips a beat the first time you lock eyes, so that your hearts begin beating together. Just wait for that, and ignore what this says.”

Dan stared at Gavin, slowly raising an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s what my mum always told me, anyway. Here, let’s go in.”

The two Brits walked into the building, and one by one people came out to shake hands with Dan. Gavin looked around for Ray, but didn’t see him in the crowd.

He walked into the Achievement Hunter office and found the younger man sitting at his computer, editing away. “Hey Ray, we’re here,” Gav called to him, reaching out and shaking his shoulder.

Ray shrugged him off. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said, waving him away.

“Dan’s really excited to meet you, I think you better come say hello.” He reached for Ray’s wrist, closing his hand over the slap bracelet he was wearing.

Ray pulled his hand away, leaving behind the bracelet. “I’m not up for it right now.”

Gavin caught a glimpse of the numbers Ray was hiding, and briefly saw them flash green before Ray snatched up the bracelet and put it back on, not seeing the numbers himself.

“Ray, you get out of this chair and go say hello to him right now.” Gavin did his best to put on a firm face, but couldn’t keep the smile off it.

Ray pursed his lips and shrugged, finally standing up and walking into the lobby, Gavin following close behind.

The people surrounding Dan got quiet as Ray pushed through them, almost as if they could feel the tension rising. Ray turned his gaze to the floor as Dan turned to face him.

“Ray,” Dan said quietly.

“Hey Dan,” he replied, digging the toe of his checkered shoe into the floor.

Dan held out his right hand. “At least shake my hand.”

Ray sighed loudly and reached out as well, grabbing his hand and shaking it firmly. He decided to look him in the eyes out of respect, and gasped when his dark brown eyes met Dan’s lighter ones.

Both men froze. Ray thought the floor was falling out from underneath him, and he shook his head. “No, this isn’t right.”

Dan stared down at his wrist; the numbers there had become a faded grey, and read as 0 all the way across. He looked Ray’s, realized it had a slap band covering it, and reached out to rip it off.

“Dan, no—” Ray started, but jumped when he looked down. Both counters matched. “But we aleady knew each other!” he whined, and the crowd around them laughed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Dan mumbled, figuring it out. “They count down to when you meet in person.”

A smile slowly crawled across Dan’s face, and he swept Ray up in his arms and twirled him around once. Gavin pulled out his phone and took a picture of his two friends having their moment, and hoped that someone would remember to take a picture of his when it happened.


End file.
